Houston QB D’Eriq King is Ed Oliver’s Heisman candidate

1of2Houston quarterback D'Eriq King (4) throws a pass against Rice during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game at Rice Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

2of2Houston Cougars quarterback D'Eriq King (4) runs the ball in for the final touchdown during the second half of a college football game at TDECU Stadium, Saturday, September 8, 2018, in Houston.Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Talk of the Heisman Trophy came up in the conversation earlier this week when Ed Oliver added another name to the list of should-be candidates.

“They need to take me out of the running,” said Oliver, the University of Houston’s All-America defensive tackle, “and put (quarterback) D’Eriq King in it. You see what he is doing.”

In case you missed King’s Week 2 performance:

Six total touchdowns (a career-high four passing and two rushing).

No turnovers.

A 27-point thrashing of the Pac-12’s Arizona Wildcats.

American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Oliver does not believe a defensive player provides enough excitement — “What’s the saying? Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships,” he said — or has the ball enough to make a dent in voters’ minds for consideration. On the other hand, King does.So Oliver knows who he would cast his early season vote for, if he had one, with the Cougars off to a hot 2-0 start.

King appreciates the endorsement from Oliver, whom he and many around the nation call the best player in college football. There’s a much more pressing issue: another important non-conference showdown Saturday against Texas Tech in Lubbock.

“We just need to keep doing what we do: scoring touchdowns and putting up points,” King said.

A revamped offense installed by new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has been as explosive as advertised, averaging 45 points and nearly 564 yards per game, both in the top 25 in Football Bowl Subdivision.

Through two games, King, a junior from Manvel, said he’s “in a good place” since taking over the starting job in the final month last season and learning Briles’ up-tempo offense in the offseason. He has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 566 yards with 10 total touchdowns (seven passing, three rushing) and no interceptions. He has been responsible for an average 31 points per game, tops in the nation.

“More reps, more games you get, naturally the more comfortable you get in the offense,” King said. “I feel like I’m in a good place right now. I know everything that is going on. I have two games in and a whole bunch of practices. Right now, I feel pretty good about the offense.”

That confidence was on display during the Cougars’ third possession Saturday against Arizona. Up 14-0, King needed just 72 seconds to complete a scoring drive that was capped by a 52-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open tight end Romello Brooker.

At that point, King said he “took it all in … we can really be a dominant offense this year.”

King had high expectations and goals, but none had anything to do with how many yards or touchdowns he piled up.

“I’m a very confident person,” he said. “I might not say a lot, but I’m pretty confident in myself. My expectation is to win every game, it doesn’t matter by a half-point or three touchdowns. Just win every game. Anybody that knows me, my teammates know I don’t care about (any of the stats). I just want to win. If I need to kick an extra point, I’ll do it just to win. I love winning.”

Top-notch competitor

It was that competitive nature UH coach Major Applewhite discovered immediately when he began recruiting King. He was a star dual-threat quarterback at Manvel, one of the state’s powerhouse programs. King originally committed to TCU, and considered Texas Tech, before signing with the Cougars as part of the 2016 class that included Oliver.

“When you get him in a football setting, you see what kind of competitor he is,” Applewhite said of King. “You see the record his high school had and how he led as a quarterback. You start talking to different athletes around town, different schools and different districts, and you learn more about the competitive side of D’Eriq.

“I’m pleased with the way he’s playing and leading. These are all things we expect and certainly things we don’t take for granted. We’re very appreciative to have a quarterback like this.”

A former high school teammate, safety Deontay Anderson may know King better than anybody in the UH football program. None of what he has done so far has been a surprise.

“Very athletic quarterback, very smart,” said Anderson, who transferred from Mississippi in the offseason. “I’m just glad he’s getting his opportunity that he has been waiting for. When I got here, it was nothing new to me. The plays he did in practice may have been new to other people, but I’ve seen that before.”

“He’s progressed nicely,” Kingsbury said. “He has the dynamic to beat you with his feet and his arm. He’s a tough out.”

King has benefited from the emergence of several young receivers and steady play on the offensive line, which has helped paved the way for nearly 300 rushing yards per game and has not allowed a sack.

“There are a lot of other great plays being made by great players, but ultimately the quarterback, the decision-maker, has to make good decisions with the ball,” Applewhite said. “That’s what he is doing right now.”

Joseph Duarte has been a sports reporter for the Houston Chronicle since August 1996. He currently covers college athletics, focusing on the University of Houston. Previously, he wrote about the Houston Astros from 1998-2002, Houston Texans from 2002-05 and the Texas Longhorns from 2005-09. He came to the Houston Chronicle as part of an internship through the Sports Journalism Institute in 1995.